Azure Resources Manager (ARM)

Deploy Azure Resources with Arm Templates & PowerShell

Video taught by Navika Chhauda

What are Azure Resources Manager (ARM) Templates and Why Use Them

Use case: Create infrastructure from code instead of manually and record infrastructure as code (IaC).

Benefits: reuse, time efficiency, continuous deployment and integration, track deployments

1. Parts of an ARM Template

   • Input: JavaScript Object Notation File (JSON)
   • Configure a resource
   • Declarative syntax

ARM Template Structure

Properties:

• schema: template version
• contentVersion: version of content
• parameters: inputs from user
• functions: methods
• variables dynamic values
• resources: what to deploy
• outputs: what to generate after ARM template is applied

Demos: Deployment Resources using AR

• Use VS Code, use ARM extension
• Create ARM template from scratch using structure elements from above
• Using ARM! snippet in VS Code, create a blank template

{
    "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
    "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
    // Parameters are to get input from user
    "parameters": {
        // example
        // "storagename": {
        //     "type": "string",
        //     "metadata": {
        //         "description": "Name of the storage account"
        //     }
        // }
    },
    "functions": [],
    // Optional variables can be reused
    "variables": {
        // Create storage account name from a
        // unique string generated from numbers 2,6,4
        "stname": "[concat('storage',uniqueString('264'))]"
    },
    // Most Azure resources are available for creation
    // In VS Code, see templates using arm- and C-Space
    "resources": [
        {
            // Refer to stname specificed in variables
            "name": "[variables('stname')]",
            "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
            "apiVersion": "2023-04-01",
            "tags": {
                "displayName": "[variables('stname')]"
            },
            "location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
            "kind": "StorageV2",
            "sku": {
                "name": "Premium_LRS",
                "tier": "Premium"
            }
        }

    ],
    "outputs": {}
}

PowerShell Scripting

• Use Case: Need software to automate, deploy, and manage Azure resources

• PowerShell: Command line tool, helps with automation, scripting language, can do deployment of resources

• Steps of deployment resources using PowerShell

  • Connect to Azure
  • Get/Set subscription
  • Create
    • Create resource group (RG) if needed
  • Deploy resources
    • During deploy, you can observe progress in Azure portal under resource group > Deployments

• Commands may require Cmdlets to be installed from PowerShell gallery

• Usage:

  • Scripts of PowerShell commands
  • Dynamic scripts
  • Loops, conditions, error handling
  • Define variables like $var, can add numbers and concatenate strings

ARM Templates and PowerShell

• Deploy ARM json using CLI, like PowerShell, can run like in terminal or PowerShell ISE

# Connect to Azure
Connect-AzAccount
# Check subscription
Get-AzSubscription
# Can reuse existing RG or create new one like:
New-AzResourceGroup -Name "test1" -Location "CanadaCentral"
# Deployment the resource using an existing RG called test1
# Point to filled in ARM template file
New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName test1 -TemplateFile "/path/to/ARM-file.json"

# Get virtual machines
Get-AzVM
$totalVM=Get-AzVM
$count=0

foreach($vm in $totalVM) {
    $count = $count + 1
}
$count

Write-Host("Total VMs in subscription is $count")

if ($count -gt 1) {
    Write-Host("Sorry, no more VMs can be deployed, maximum 1 VMs reached")
}
else {
    # vm.json below has
    # - storage account
    # - public IP
    # - network
    # - NSG
    # - VNet
    # - Sub network
    # - VM
    #   - Password is specified as well
    New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName test1 -TemplateFile "vm.json"
    Write-Host("New VM deployed")
}

• You can retrieve a template from an existing resources using export template in the Azure Portal from the resource

1. vm.json

   • Make sure the VM name is unique

   {
       "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
       "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
       "parameters": {
           // specific relevant parameters below
       },
       "functions": [],
       "variables": {
           // specific relevant variables below
       },
       "resources": [
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts",
               "apiVersion": "2023-04-01",
               "name": "[variables('storageAccountName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "sku": {
                   "name": "Standard_LRS"
               },
               "kind": "Storage"
           },
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
               "apiVersion": "2023-11-01",
               "name": "[parameters('publicIpName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "sku": {
                   "name": "[parameters('publicIpSku')]"
               },
               "properties": {
                   "publicIPAllocationMethod": "[parameters('publicIPAllocationMethod')]",
                   "dnsSettings": {
                       "domainNameLabel": "[parameters('dnsLabelPrefix')]"
                   }
               }
           },
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups",
               "apiVersion": "2023-11-01",
               "name": "[variables('networkSecurityGroupName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "properties": {
                   "securityRules": [
                       {
                           "name": "default-allow-3389",
                           "properties": {
                               "priority": 1000,
                               "access": "Allow",
                               "direction": "Inbound",
                               "destinationPortRange": "3389",
                               "protocol": "Tcp",
                               "sourcePortRange": "*",
                               "sourceAddressPrefix": "*",
                               "destinationAddressPrefix": "*"
                           }
                       }
                   ]
               }
           },
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks",
               "apiVersion": "2023-11-01",
               "name": "[variables('virtualNetworkName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "properties": {
                   "addressSpace": {
                       "addressPrefixes": [
                           "[variables('addressPrefix')]"
                       ]
                   },
                   "subnets": [
                       {
                           "name": "[variables('subnetName')]",
                           "properties": {
                               "addressPrefix": "[variables('subnetPrefix')]",
                               "networkSecurityGroup": {
                                   "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', variables('networkSecurityGroupName'))]"
                               }
                           }
                       }
                   ]
               },
               "dependsOn": [
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups', variables('networkSecurityGroupName'))]"
               ]
           },
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
               "apiVersion": "2023-11-01",
               "name": "[variables('nicName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "properties": {
                   "ipConfigurations": [
                       {
                           "name": "ipconfig1",
                           "properties": {
                               "privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
                               "publicIPAddress": {
                                   "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIpName'))]"
                               },
                               "subnet": {
                                   "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets', variables('virtualNetworkName'), variables('subnetName'))]"
                               }
                           }
                       }
                   ]
               },
               "dependsOn": [
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', parameters('publicIpName'))]",
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', variables('virtualNetworkName'))]"
               ]
           },
           {
               "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
               "apiVersion": "2023-03-01",
               "name": "[parameters('vmName')]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "properties": {
                   "hardwareProfile": {
                       "vmSize": "[parameters('vmSize')]"
                   },
                   "osProfile": {
                       "computerName": "[parameters('vmName')]",
                       "adminUsername": "[parameters('adminUsername')]",
                       "adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPassword')]"
                   },
                   "storageProfile": {
                       "imageReference": {
                           "publisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer",
                           "offer": "WindowsServer",
                           "sku": "[parameters('OSVersion')]",
                           "version": "latest"
                       },
                       "osDisk": {
                           "createOption": "FromImage",
                           "managedDisk": {
                               "storageAccountType": "StandardSSD_LRS"
                           }
                       },
                       "dataDisks": [
                           {
                               "diskSizeGB": 1023,
                               "lun": 0,
                               "createOption": "Empty"
                           }
                       ]
                   },
                   "networkProfile": {
                       "networkInterfaces": [
                           {
                               "id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('nicName'))]"
                           }
                       ]
                   },
                   "diagnosticsProfile": {
                       "bootDiagnostics": {
                           "enabled": true,
                           "storageUri": "[reference(resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', variables('storageAccountName')), '2022-05-01').primaryEndpoints.blob]"
                       }
                   },
                   "securityProfile": "[if(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), variables('securityProfileJson'), null())]"
               },
               "dependsOn": [
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', variables('nicName'))]",
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts', variables('storageAccountName'))]"
               ]
           },
           {
               "condition": "[and(equals(parameters('securityType'), 'TrustedLaunch'), and(equals(variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.secureBootEnabled, true()), equals(variables('securityProfileJson').uefiSettings.vTpmEnabled, true())))]",
               "type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions",
               "apiVersion": "2023-03-01",
               "name": "[format('{0}/{1}', parameters('vmName'), variables('extensionName'))]",
               "location": "[parameters('location')]",
               "properties": {
                   "publisher": "[variables('extensionPublisher')]",
                   "type": "[variables('extensionName')]",
                   "typeHandlerVersion": "[variables('extensionVersion')]",
                   "autoUpgradeMinorVersion": true,
                   "enableAutomaticUpgrade": true,
                   "settings": {
                       "AttestationConfig": {
                           "MaaSettings": {
                               "maaEndpoint": "[variables('maaEndpoint')]",
                               "maaTenantName": "[variables('maaTenantName')]"
                           }
                       }
                   }
               },
               "dependsOn": [
                   "[resourceId('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', parameters('vmName'))]"
               ]
           }
   
       ],
       "outputs": {}
   }

When to choose BICEP vs ARM

• You can use both, no wrong choice
• Bicep is more concise and easier to read
• Export in Azure Portal uses ARM template and underneath a BICEP approach uses ARM for deployment

See Also

• Azure Resources Manager and Bicep - Azure Resource Management (ARM) and Bicep

Resources

• Deploy Azure Resources with Arm Templates & PowerShell